Taint
by Zoicytes-Shadow
Summary: Watanuki learns the real meaning of price to pay when Yuuko bends his fate..YxW
1. Chapter 1

Z/N: all characters herein belong to CLAMP.

A boy ran through the rain, shielding his head as best he could with his book bag. Several pieces of his black hair were already wet, and a chill ran through his soaked clothing. "Yuko-San's going to kill me.." He muttered as he ran down the block. He slowed, seeing a familiar outline. Yuko was standing in front of the house with an umbrella. He couldn't see her expression through his fogged glasses, but he knew she must be mad.

"Yuko-san, I'm sorry I'm so late, I had to stay and clean up and then Himawari-Chan-"

"Watanuki.." Yuko began, and then stopped as a chill ran over her. Watanuki continued explaining his delay, but she wasn't listening. He wiped his sleeve over his forehead to catch the rain before it fell into his eyes. Just a second later, truck lights blared into view."  
"Watanuki!" Yuko called. He wouldn't be able to see it through the rain, and the truck driver couldn't stop in time.

"So then she said-Huh?" Surprise flickered across Watanuki's face at Yuko's urgent tone. He couldn't hear what she was yelling, but she sounded fearful.

Yuko abandoned the umbrella and began to run as she saw the boy wasn't registering her warning.

The truck was coming on fast.

She dived as it hit him, panic fueling her speed. The truck swerved, barely missing them both. Yuko landed hard, slicing her cheek. She opened her eyes. Watanuki's arm was at an unnatural angle, but he was still breathing, and that was what counted. She turned her head in the direction of the truck, driver slamming the door and running over to them, panicked.

"Call..the hospital.." She managed, her vision swimming. Her head fell.

"...extremely lucky..."  
"If she hadn't been there..."

"...fatal..."

Watanuki blinked, white in his view. He squinted, blinking several times before realizing is glasses were gone. He turned his head painfully, finding them on a nightstand near him. Slipping them on, everything was still white, but it was at leas clear now that he was in a hospital. The voices from a few moments ago were beginning to register in his head. He had been in an accident, something had hit him...

The door slid open. A familiar face looked in.

"Himawari-Chan!" Watanuki greeted her happily. She walked in smiling. "Thank goodness you're not hurt, Watanuki-kun! It was a terrible accident." She pulled up a chair and sat by his bed.

"Himawari-Chan, you came to see me all by your-"  
"Sorry I'm late." Domeki slid open the door, a cup of water in his hand. "I stopped to get a drink."

Watanuki's sentence died. He shot a glare at Domeki, who responded by rolling his eyes.

"We came as soon as we heard!" Himawari chimed in during the awkward silence.

"What happened anyway?" Watanuki ventured.

Himawari's eyes widened and she shot him a pitying look. "You were hit by a truck!"  
Something about the way Himawari had said it made Watanuki try to sit up and inspect exactly what was broken. He fell back down. "Ouch.."

"Oh, Watanuki-kun, are you alright?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine.."

"Sorry to have to cut this short, but Himawari-san and I have to work on a school project." Domeki stated, giving Watanuki n apologetic look. It only served to remind Watanuki how bad his situation was.

"Oh, he's right! We'll come see you again as soon as we can, Watanuki-san." Himawari chirped, standing up. "Bye!"  
"...bye.." Watanuki sighed. He laid his head back down. The potential rest was interrupted by the sound of someone once again opening the door. He kept his eyes resolutely closed. Maybe if they thought he was asleep, they would go away.

"I know you're awake Watanuki."

Or not.

"Hi Yuko-san." He mumbled, opening his eyes.

All previous hesitation was forgotten as he saw her.

She tilted her head to the side, eyes down as though that would keep him from noticing the bandages covering her arms, gauze pad on her cheek and ragged hair.

"What-What happened to you?" He managed, still gazing in horrific interest. He had never seen Yuko look so...human before. He had stupidly assumed she couldn't be wounded.

"Same thing that happened to you." She tried to grin. It came out as more of a wince.

"How did you get hit-" He began, then remembered the nurse's words as he was waking up. "Yuko-san...you saved me.."

Yuko met his eyes. "Of course. I couldn't just watch you die."  
"But- Hitsuzen.." For some reason the theory nagged at his mind.

"I bent it." She said, looking down again.

"That means-someone's going to get hurt.."

"It means you'd better hurry up and get rested so you can come back, my cooking gets extremely boring after a few weeks." Yuko teased.

Watanuki was strangely relieved to find his old irritation surfacing.  
"I just broke my arm and you want me to hurry and heal so I can cook for you?"

"Yes."

"That is the most selfish-"

Yuko stood up, smiling. He had already forgotten about her sacrifice to save him. Her work, for the moment, was done. "Get well soon Watanuki." She called as she exited, tuning out his rambling.

The smile left her face halfway down the street. She had bent Hitsuzen for him, and that would mean a different casualty was going to be needed. And she would pay the price.


	2. Chapter 2

Z/N: Aha! After quite a long wait, I am now updating almost all of my fanfictions!

xXx

Watanuki had expected to end up walking back alone to his similarly empty apartment. However, as soon as he exited the building, his eyes were drawn to Yuko, who was cheerily waving at him with the same umbrella she had dropped that fateful day.  
"Watanukiii! Hurry up, it's going to start raining any second now!"

Watanuki didn't question her, as the clouds that had looked peaceful suddenly took on a menacing tone. He dashed as best he could out, still managing to get soaked, as Yuko hadn't moved any closer.

He bent down under the umbrella, panting with the effort of running after being contained in a hospital bed for weeks.

"Th-Thanks." He muttered, not sure if it was sarcasm or not.

"Maru and Moro have been missing you, so I've decided that we simply must throw a party for your recovery."

"I'm not recovered yet, Yuko-san. A broken bone takes longer to heal than a few weeks."

Yuko smiled in that infuriatingly mysterious way but said nothing.

Watanuki remained silent, thinking back on the day he was hit. It wasn't the first time his mind had wandered to that direction, but the reasoning for Yuko's obviously knowledgeable changing of Hitsuzen always escaped him. This was somehow different from her customers, and he felt uneasy.

His direction of thought was hampered by the arrival of Maru and Moro jumping onto him with shouts of glee. Looking around, he noticed they were in Yuko's yard. How had they gotten there so fast? Yuko dropped the umbrella, leaving it outside as all four of them ducked in. "Mokona!" Yuko called out happily. "Watanuki's back!"

The black Mokona bounced in, yelling something indiscernable at Watanuki before alighting on his shoulder, demanding a party.

"Watanuki, Maru, Moro and I will get everything set up, while you go fetch some sake!" Yuko suggested/demanded, holding out her hands as Mokona hopped on.

Watanuki sighed as they parted ways, resigning himself to being back in Yuko's services. "She probably just didn't want to lose a slave." He muttered, opening the storage room and looking around. A thin layer of dust had spread across everything, keeping in with Watanuki's theory that dust originated in this room itself. Well, not everything.

Four objects glowed slightly, not a speck of dust on them. He glanced over momentarily, wondering why. One of them had the tired yet awake aura that he used to know so well as a boy. Another was the same, only...masculine? He shook his head away from the thought, setting his eyes on the two others, instantly regretting doing so. These two were just as indescribeable as the last, though one made him automatically start thinking of all the unanswerable questions in the universe. Head spinning, he refocused on the other, festooned with a strange trinket that appeared to be a heart with bat wings handcuffed to it. It had a definite air of malice, and discontent just itching to spread.

After a period of contemplation, he decided to ignore them and move on to getting the best sake he could find. It was a party in honor of him, after all, so only the best would do. Leaving the storeroom self-content, he failed to notice three of the items release a bit of tension, and one inaudible sigh.

xXx

"Alright, I've got the..." Watanuki trailed off after stepping through the room.   
It was decorated, complete with streamers and a large sign reading 'Welcome Home'.

He felt a sudden urge to tear up, but dismissed it, with only a small blush to show.

"You guys did all of this for me?"  
"Of course Watanuki!" Yuko chimed, causing Maru and Moro to echo her.

"Of course! Of course!"

Mokona squealed, diving at the sake bottle. Watanuki tried his best to maneuver it out of range.

"Uh-uh! Not until it's been distributed!"  
"Aww.." Mokona pouted.

"Does this mean you'll be drinking as well, Watanuki?" Yuko asked, reclining in her chair.

"Of course! It's my party." Watanuki responded self-confidently.

Yuko was up again, latching her arms around his neck and squealing. "Watanuki's so cuute!"

Maru and Moro took up the call, much to his embarrasment.

"Let's get going!"

"Watanuki! Watanuki!"  
"Maru, Moro-"

"Yes!"  
"One, two,"  
"Mokona too!"  
"One,"  
"Two!"  
"Three-"  
"Welcome home Watanuki!"

xXx

Maru and Moro danced around the room holding hands as Mokona balanced the empty sake bottle on his face, hopping about the table. Yuko was giving Watanuki her full attention, noticing his gaze fixated on her.  
"You know, I never thought I could hold down this much liquor." He muttered, then giggled a bit.

"You're not holding it down very well."

"I'm awake, aren't I?"

"Good point, Nuki-pi."

"Yuuko. I've been thinking, about a lot of things. And I've decided, that I wanna kiss you."  
The comment's oddity was coated by the layer of alcohol misting her. Yuko smiled, gesturing Watanuki forward.

He walked over a bit unsteadily, and collapsed onto her, squirming.

Maru and Moro noticed thechange, and took their game outside, Mokona trailing them.

Watanuki clumsily slid his hands down Yuko's front, trying to feel where the dress came off.

Yuko's own hands soon joined him, guiding a little clumsily themselves, as her mouth was otherwise occupied feverishly with Watanuki's own. Clumsily, fumblingly at first, feverishly, they moved. Passionately, feverishly, achingly forgetting who the other was yet remembering it all at the same time, they dug a deeper dent into Hitsuzen.

xXx

"Watanuki, wake up. We've burnt breakfast."

Yuko's voice raised the boy from a heavy sleep. He groaned, dispelling strange half-thoughts. Last night wasa blur, but a satisfied blur. He swung his legs off of...Yuko's chair?

"How did I get here?"

"I left you where you fell last night." Yuko responded, fanning away smoke, the telltale sign that her proclamation had not been a dream.

"Alright, I'm coming. Why did you try to make breakfast on your own?" Watanuki sighed, holding a hand to his head at a sudden throbbing.  
"Hey-My arm's better!"

"You didn't think I would have you clean up with only one arm? You work so much better with two." Yuko gibed, reaching in her robe to bring out a small bottle. She handed it to Watanuki, who squinted at it, readjusting his glasses.

"Eki-kyabe? Oh, that's right. Ugh." Watanuki frowned, then tilted his head back and swallowed.

"Ack! Bitter!" He grimaced, handing the bottle back to Yuko and stumbling into the kitchen.

It wasn't on fire, thank kami for that at least. It was hard enough taking care of things when they were normal, he had no desire to find out how it might go when the house was on fire. Maru fanned at a smoldering dish while Moro dumped something blackened into the garbage.

"Well, we'll need to clean this air, and then I'll make something for breakfast." Watanuki announced, striding into the kitchen.

Yuko watched him take command, Maru and Moro responding instantly and with fervor. To him, it would be best forgotten, although it didn't help the pang of sorrow she felt any.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Months passed, as they always do, too fast. Even with the constant hassle of dealing with Yuko's shop, Watanuki found himself wondering where the time had gone. Moments to reflect became more and more frequent with the lessening of customers. Watanuki became worried. Business was slowing down perceptively, and Yuko herself seemed under the weather. She hadn't had anything to drink for quite some time. Watanuki couldn't quite pinpoint how long it had been, but her sake was always untouched. Recently her sake was diminishing again, but Watanuki still felt something was wrong.

When she didn't have her habits it became different. The opium pipe sat untouched in a corner as Watanuki cleaned around it, trying to tell himself that she must just be feeling under the weather.

xXx

Yuko had entered the storage room right after Watanuki left for school. She made her way back to the slightly glowing objects.

"He's been coming here after school every day now."  
The glow made no movement of heightening or diminishing.

"It's nice, in a way. I still feel sad, when I see him. How much longer until I have to say something?"  
The handcuffed object gleamed a bit brighter for a moment.

Yuko smiled slightly. "It's all part of it, I know. I used to be detached from all ofit. Some would say it was the worst choice, some would say it was the best choice. Now, I'm not so sure myself. I'm directly in the middle, and it is a frightening place to be."

The object beside the handcuffed one glowed silvery, contemplating for a moment as an obvious air of annoyance crept over the handcuffed one.

Yuko's face took on a slightly pained look, and all four object's attention refocused to her, hesitant.

"I'll leave now." Yuko murmured. She walked slowly out. The objects gave inaudible sighs again.

Watanuki's schoolmates almost never noticed anything wrong with him, and today was no exception. Himawari gave him worried glances, and Domeki obviously knew something was up, but as usual, he didn't say anything. Classes drug on and on. When school finally ended, Watanuki knew what to do. Entering a flower shop, he looked around in bewildermentat all of the varieties, wondering which ones to get. A salesclerk took pity on him and walked over to assist.

"Sir? May I help you?"

"Um, yeah. I'm looking for some flowers, you see, my boss, she's not feeling very well, and.."  
"Say no more, we have just the thing to cheer her up and bring you into the picture." The salesclerk winked at him, guiding him over to the counter.

"Huh? No, you see, it's just that-"  
"These, sir, are the finest our shop has to offer on matters such as this."  
Watanuki looked at the bouquet of light purple and red flowers, topped with a silk ribbon in the shape of a butterfly. He knew Hitsuzen when he saw it.  
"Alright, how much?"

xXx

"Man, that much for a bouquet of flowers? It's highway robbery." Watanuki muttered, rouning the corner and running right into Domeki.

The other boy stared at him for a few moments. Then, "She'll like those." He siad, motioning his head towards the flowers.

"What? How do you know? You don't even know who they're for! What if I wanted them?" Watanuki stammered.

"Because they're obviously geared towards women." Domeki responded in monotone.

"Oh-right, they are for someone-but you don't know who!" Watanuki retorted, feeling himself begin to blush.

"Yuko-san. They're for Yuko-san."

For a moment, Watanuki seethed silently.

"Damn it! Why do you always know things?"

"She will like them though. It will be a nice surprise."

Watanuki gave up, striding off towards Yuko's shop. Behind him, Domeki smiled lightly.

xXx

Watanuki slid open the door of the shop. It was uncharacteristically silent inside, and no one was there to greet him.

He walked through the rooms until he got to the sliding door to Yuko's living area.

"How long will I be unable to tell anything?"  
"Be strong, Mistress!"  
"Mistress, be strong!"  
"Hah."

Watanuki stopped cold. Yuko was unable to do the Yuko-esque things he had come to identify her with? So she wouldn't know if anyone needed help, or what was going to happen. The thought frightened him. He slid the door open,, catching Maru and Moro in the middle of petting Yuko's hair and smoothing her dress.

Yuko looked up, weary.

"Yuko-san, I'm back." Watanuki tried his best to be cheery. "And look, I've brought you something!"  
Yuko was steeling herself to reject the sake he had probably bought when he withdrew the bouquet from behind him.

Silence filled the room, then Maru and Moro awed appreciatively.

Yuko sat up as Watanuki walked over to her, holding the bouquet out in front of him.

"Here. You weren't feeling well, so I bought you some flowers." He explained, feeling stupid.

Yuko gently reached out and took them, running her fingers over the petals.

"How magnificent. Watanuki, they're beautiful."

"Um, good, I'm uh, glad you-like them.." Watanuki felt a blush creeping up on him, and realized he was acting quite similar to how he was around Himawari-chan. This embarrassment just seemed to happen, he had no idea why. It's not like...

"Watanuki. Come here." Yuko commanded softly.

Watanuki snapped out of his inner monologue and walked back over to her. She laid her hand on his own, smiling.  
"Thank you. I'm very pleased with them."

Watanuki stood awkwardly, before bending down and giving Yuko a quick hug, then dashing out of the room again.

Outside the shop, he stopped to catch his breath, unaware until this moment that he had even stopped breathing. Why had he done that? Well, Yuko was important to him, and he hated to see anyone upset. It had just seemed like th right thing to do. A moment of silence within his inner monologue attempted to tell him otherwise, but he shut it out.

Still sitting in her chair, Yuko smiled, completely taken aback for the first time in years. She touched her stomach lightly. An almost sinister laugh ehoed through the room. Maru and Moro immediately began laughing as well. Yuko shookher head, laughing slightly. "Shaa, you on't have to act like that. All will happen in due time."

The laughter continued, melting down to a giggle. It was the way she always acted, Yuko mused. Not quite evil, not 'pure'. She just _was_. And soon, she would come and see for herself, along with the others.

Watanuki walked a bit aimlessly, ending up at the park. He sighed, feeling happy. He was lost in musing so far, he didn't even notice when Himawari wandered up to him until she put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump.

"Agh! Oh, Himawari-chan! I didn't see you."  
"I know," Himawari chirped, smiling good naturedly at him, "You seemed really deep in thought. What's goin on? You look pretty happy."

Watanuki blushed, smiling as he looked at the ground. "Well, I bought Yuko-san some flowers, since she wasn't feeling well, and she really liked them. I guess, I'm just happy that she liked them so much, I wasn't really sure, you know, when I bought them, oh, I'm rambling, sorry.."

Himawari shook her head. "No, I think it's great that you bought her something to cheer her up! I'm sure she really really loves them! It's always nice to know someone's thinking about you."

"Yeah, you're right!" Watanuki laughed, grateful that Himawari understood.

"You two have such a great relationship." Himawari smiled. "Oh, I'd better get going home, I have some chores to do. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"  
"Okay!" Watanuki smiled, waving to Himawari as she left. "Goodbye, Himawari-chan!"  
"Bye Watanuki-kun!"

Watanuki sighed, leaning back against the slide. Dusk was now all around. He sat, not really thinking about anything for the first time in a while. Suddenly, a wind blew across him. It was slight, but still left him with an unnatural chill. Looking around, he saw nothing, which worried him. Whenever it was easy to deal with, he usually saw something. But this time he just felt something. Suddenly terrified, he ran on acourse back to Yuko's.

Inside the shop, the laughter stopped abruptly. Yuko noticed something was wrong, and glanced at the ceiling, as if the source of the laughter would be there. "What is it? What's happened?"

There was no response. Maru and Moro ran back to her, huddling close. Mokona also bounced towards them.

The door slammed open, and then shut. Watanuki dashed inside, alnding in a pile at Yuko's feet. He scrambled to get up, accepting Yuko's hand. She winced as he fell against her, glancing back at the door in terror.

"What's going on, Watanuki?"  
"T-There's-a thing, I don't know, it's just really-"  
"Ssh." Yuko instructed him, peering towards the door. Now the full force of it hit her, and the lights in the shop went out.  
No one made a sound as something traveled back and forth outside of the shop for a good five minutes. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.

"It's alright now. It can't get in."  
"How do you know? I heard you talking about being unable to sense things, how can you still protect this place? And us?"  
The comment dug open a raw insecurity, but Yuko shook it away. "You think I'm the only ward this shop has? There are many more...deterrents, stronger than me. I wouldn't say I'd rely on them completely, it's rude. But, they are here. And in times like these.."

Watanuki slowly stood up, still frightened but secure now that he was back in Yuko's shop. Maru and Moro lit candles, setting them down on the table.

"Watanuki. You're tired, aren't you."  
Watanuki glanced behind him, not noticing it was a statement rather than a question.

"No, I'm...well, amybe a little."  
Yuko's voice became even more ethereal. "Sleep. Come over here and sleep, you need to rest."

Watanuki obeyed, sitting down at her feet and instantly falling asleep. Yuko held a hand to his forehead. A black liquid substance trickeled up, trapping itself in a bracelet. Yuko handed the bracelet to Maru, who ran off with it. Moro and Mokona repositioned themselves next to her. Maru came back, taking a seat as well.

Yuko sighed as the rain began to fall, staring past the wavering candles into the wavering, and much more dangerous, dark.


End file.
